Tenth Member: The Two Towers
by shieldmaidenofthecarribean
Summary: A continuation of Kylie's adventure. After she landed herself in the Fellowship, things began to get serious. Danger. Caputure. Death. Still, this clumsy 14-year-old tries to stay with her new friends while finding a way home.
1. Chapter 1

_After much time dorment, I believe I am going to try to start writing this again. Yay! I will try to update as much as I can, but truthfully I'm still trying to decide the fate of these characters, especially Kylie. I know the ending, just not how to get there. Isn't that frustrating?_

_Anyway, this is set right after my other story, Tenth Member: Fellowship of the Ring. I try to follow cannon as closely as I can and I like to try to combine the book events and the movie events. So you don't necessarily have to read my other story to understand this one, but I recommend that you at least read the last chapter._

_Disclaimer: as much hard(?) as I've tried over the past few months, I still do not own Lord of the Rings. Not mine. I do not own LOTR or any other brand or reference you see in this story. Or Kylie… it's sort of wrong and illegal to own a person. _

Chapter 1 – Nothing but Grass

Her head really hurt. But something was touching it.

"No, the skull is not cracked." Hands continued to caress her head. "She has sizable knot on the side."

"Well that orc did hit her, Aragorn," said another voice.

The hands would not stop, and they were starting to touch where her head really hurt. "He hit her here. There is another bump on the side of her head here. Do you remember what happened?"

A minute passed. "Well, so long as it does not have a great adverse effect on her sense of balance I believe she will recover," said a lighter voice.

"Hmph!" hmphed a harsh but not evil voice, "remember who you are talking about, Legolas. This "sense of balance" you refer to is already quite impaired."

"I… resent… that…" said Kylie slowly.

She started to open your eyes, but the bright light hurt.

"Finally, we have been so worried."

"I'm fine dad."

More silence. "Kylie… your father is not here. You have not returned home."

She thought for a minute, and then everything came back. The ring… the journey… orcs….

"What happened?" she moaned, eyes still shut.

"We were attacked by orcs. All of us," said one of the voices. Oh yes, Boromir.

Kylie finally opened her eyes, but the light hurt and she couldn't keep them open. "We okay?"

"We are. Merry and Pippin were captured," said Legolas softly.

"What?" Then she remembered seeing orcs carrying off her two friends. "I'm not a Halfling…" she continued.

Complete silence. "Yes… you are human," said Aragorn.

"Very human if I may add," chimed Legolas.

She heard a light rustle and opened her eyes to see. The light hurt so she closed them again, but it was getting better.

"Does the light hurt?" asked Aragorn.

"Yeah…."

"Legolas, can you stand here? To the left a little… just enough to shade her face… thank you."

Kylie could tell when the elf was in position and opened her eyes.

She saw four very tired friends. Aragorn, Boromir, and Gimli looked very sweaty, almost as if they had just run a marathon. Legolas looked perfectly fine, but one side of his hair looked much shorter than the other side. Boromir had several bandages on his arms, and one that was wrapped around his torso.

"Just a scratch," he smiled when Kylie eyed him with concern.

"You and Boromir probably received the worst of the fight," said Aragorn. "They were after the hobbits."

"They were? That one… he tried to grab me… think he thought I was a hobbit."

Legolas laughed. "You would be a very tall hobbit if that were the case!"

Kylie smiled, but Aragorn looked concerned. "We will simply have to be more careful."

"Ha! Careful yet we race towards those very orcs as we speak!"

"Huh? Going towards… how long have I been out?" asked Kylie.

"About two days," said Legolas. "And guess who has been bestowed the honor of carrying you around?"

"Oh… um… thank you? How did you…."

"It was not easy. The first day you nearly throttled Legolas. Then we learned how to shorten the strap on your bag and use it as a sort of cushion," said Boromir.

"Throttle Legolas?" Kylie looked at the elf uncomfortably.

"You were a heavy weight on my neck," said the elf.

"_Heavy?_" She was awake now.

Aragorn laughed and said something in a language that only he and Legolas could understand. It must have been embarrassing because Legolas yelled indignantly back.

"Come on now lads, we don't have all day!" huffed Gimli.

Aragorn shook his head, eyes shut and growing solemn. "This is true. We do not. Something unnatural gives speed to these creatures. They are orcs, yet they seem unaffected by sunlight." Legolas added something in his language, looking at Kylie. Aragorn just nodded. "No matter. Kylie, how is your head."

She touched it gently. "Ouch. Fine."

"Very well. Legolas, will you do the honors?" he said, emphasizing the last word. Legolas just huffed and picked Kylie up as if she was a sack.

"Can you hold on?" asked Legolas?

Kylie grabbed him, but her hands couldn't hold. They were very sweaty. "No."

Legolas sighed. "Aragorn?"

Aragorn walked over and adjusted straps on Kylie's hands and legs, tying them to different parts of Legolas. "Just stay still, and close your eyes."

"Alright. Aragorn, where are we going?"

He looked right into her eyes. "We are following the orcs, and it is hard to guess…."

"Not that hard," snapped Boromir. "They're going right to that traitor, Saruman"

A/N: There we go! Please read and review. Ideas and constructive criticism are welcome


	2. Chapter 2

Ch. 2: The Riders of Rohan

"Look!" cried Legolas from a considerable distance.

After a few minutes, Kylie caught up. There, on the grassy plains, were several orc corpses. They reeked, and she had to sit down to not throw up.

"I think the enemy has brought his own enemy with him," said Aragorn, pointing to a symbol on the orcs' armor. "These ones are from the north."

"So they likely started a fight with the others and this is what's left. Goes well for us," caught on Boromir.

"Only if the hostages didn't meet their end here as well," said Gimli.

Kylie's stomach lurched.

It had been almost three days since Kylie had woken up, and she felt no better than when she had.

The first day Legolas had carried her for the extent of their run. After that, Kylie wanted to run on her own. So they let her. Kylie was fast, and on a good day she probably could have kept up with Aragorn at least for the majority of the day. But now….

Thud.

"Kylie? Aragorn!" Legolas was the only one who heard her trip, but now everyone saw and turned around.

"Kylie, are you all right?"

"I'm fine."

"How's your head?"

"Fine."

"Are you dizzy?"

"Fine… I mean yes," she added quickly.

She looked up to see a subtle smirk on Legolas's face. "Sure you are." He got serious. "Do you need me to carry you?"

"No."

"Perhaps a short breather? For Kylie's sake," asked Boromir.

Aragorn looked at Boromir, and even Kylie could see the troubled look in his eyes. "Perhaps it would be best."

Legolas nodded, and turned to Gimli, who was finally caught up. "Nice of you to join us, master dwarf,"

Gimli looked up indignantly. "We dwarves are _natural_ sprinters, master elf! Very dangerous at short distances!" The remaining members of the fellowship just looked at him.

"I'm wasted on cross country!"

The next day, Legolas insisted on carrying Kylie. And the word "insisted" means that Kylie woke up strapped to Legolas's back, while he was sprinting down the plains of Rohan.

"Legolas put me down!" she cried indignantly when she woke up.

"I think not," he panted, never breaking his pace.

"Legolas!"

"Kylie, stay still!" cried Aragorn a few feet behind.

"She woke up?" yelled Boromir from a decent distance.

"Yes, and she is far from happy!" responded Gimli from a bit closer.

"This isn't funny!" Kylie snapped.

Legolas just snickered and started running faster.

"Legolas, do you see anything?" cried Aragorn.

"Nothing!" Kylie could almost detect panic in Legolas's voice.

Suddenly, she knew why they kept her tied up like this. Merry and Pippin. They were stuck with the orcs, and they were their only hope. But they were so far behind….

"Legolas wait! Stay on the trail!" Legolas paused, and turned around in just enough time for Kylie to watch Aragorn walk off the trail they had been following. A few minutes later, he returned carrying something that even Kylie recognized.

"A Lórien broach!" she cried as Legolas walked closer.

"Not idly to the leaves of Lórien fall," said Aragorn thoughtfully.

"They may yet be alive," said Legolas.

"How long ago would you guess?" asked Boromir. Kylie noticed that he was rubbing his bandage.

Aragorn examined the broach more closely. "Perhaps a day or two. I would lean towards the later." The fellowship nodded grimly.

"Then we must carry on!" said Gimli, readjusting his gear quickly.

"But what if they found another chance?" asked Boromir anxiously.

"The guards will have doubled after this attempt."

"Do you want me to get down to look for more signs?" asked Kylie hopefully.

"Nice try," smiled Aragorn. "Besides, we must catch up before they reach Fangorn. Come!" Aragorn sprinted away.

The next day they were almost no closer and there were no other signs. Kylie was allowed to run again, but she lingered by the back, sometimes even falling behind Boromir and Gimli. But she continued. She didn't feel dizzy until at least an hour in.

But then Aragorn and Legolas stopped ahead. "Riders!" cried Legolas. "Merely a few leagues away."

"Well there's no hiding then. Boromir, Gimli, Kylie, come!" When the others caught up, they sat down by the grass and put their hoods up. Kylie had almost forgotten that the cloaks would blend into any background on earth (or Middle Earth).

"What do we do now?" she whispered as she began to hear the hooves pounding against the earth.

"We will reveal ourselves when the time is right," said Aragorn.

Kylie's heart began to beat faster and faster as the horses drew nearer. She didn't care too much for horses, and for a good reason.

"Riders of Rohan! What news from the Mark?" Aragorn had gotten up before she realized anything was happening. But Kylie quickly followed, and stepped forward, but Aragorn pulled her between Legolas and Boromir.

Good thing too. Before she could say "holy horse dung", the riders had all gathered around then, spears pointing at them. Kylie could even see several with bows ready to shoot.

"What business, do five strangers such as yourselves have in the Riddermark?" said a man who was clearly the leader. "Speak quickly!"

"Give me your name horse master, and I shall give you mine!" said Gimli, holding his ground and his pride.

The man got off his horse. Until then, Kylie hadn't realized how tall he was. He was several inches taller than Legolas at least. "I would cut off your head _dwarf_, if it stood but a little higher from the ground."

"You would die before your stroke fell!" cried Legolas, notching a bow. Kylie herself started to finger the dagger at her side, but every rider surrounding them was ready to strike.

"Peace!" cried Boromir, stepping forward. "Éomer, I believe? It has been a long time since my last visit, but surely you remember?"

The man, if it was Éomer, looked closely as Boromir, eyes widening in recognition. "Boromir of Gondor? It has been a long time. What brings you here?"

Boromir exchanged a quick glance with Aragorn and kept talking. "Fighting the enemy. The true enemy. Do you believe I would bring dangerous folk to your land?"

"These are dangerous times," said Éomer without missing a beat. "Besides, I did not recognize you. You looked… more dignified when first we met."

Boromir stared indignantly at Éomer. Kylie laughed. She remembered the first time she saw Boromir at the Council of Elrond. Now, who knows how many months, no baths, and several fights later, he looked different.

Éomer turned to her and looked more closely. "You brought a woman with you for this fight?"

"I can hunt orc just as good as the rest of them!" cried Kylie (even though they all knew this was not true).

"Hunting orc? You must know very little about orc to hunt them in this fashion," commented Éomer.

"We actually know much about orcs," said Aragorn at last, "it is not by choice that we hunt them as is."

"They took our friends, Merry and Pippin!" Kylie cried out.

"What size group are you searching for?" asked Éomer.

"A big one?"

"They were large," said Boromir slowly.

"About fifty total," said Legolas with near certainty.

"We slaughtered a band or Uruks that size nearly two days ago," said Éomer slowly.

"Did you see two hobbits with them?" asked Gimli quickly.

"They would be small, only children to your eyes," added Aragorn.

"We left none alive," said Éomer slowly.

They all grew silent. Kylie looked towards the ground. How could Merry and Pippin just be… dead? Especially when they could have been rescued. "You could have helped," she said to nobody in particular.

"I am sorry," said Éomer. "And I am sorry that I cannot be more sympathetic towards your plight, but now I must ask you to come back with us."

"We cannot just abandon the Halflings! Even if there is almost no chance…" Boromir trailed off.

"But you should know, Boromir, that we have a law in our land against strangers trespassing in this land before seeking the king's judgment."

"Then luckily I am not a stranger than this land. My name is Aragorn, son of Arathorn, Elessar and heir of Isildur. More than that, I have lived here once, though under a different name. Your law was not created for a time such as this, with a quest as urgent as ours."

Éomer stood silently, still trying to understand these five strangers out.

"Unless…." Aragorn turned and looked at Kylie, who stared back. What was going on? "Would you accept a token of good faith?"

"Excuse me?"

"Such as…." Éomer was clearly considering this option.

Aragorn motioned towards Kylie. "She was injured during our last fight, and would perhaps be safer in Edoras than within such proximity to Isengard?"

Éomer shifted slightly. "If it were not for the king's adviser, I would agree with you."

"What do you mean?" asked Boromir.

"Gríma Wormtongue has poisoned the mind of the king. And now, well I am loath to even leave my own sister home without my protection."

Aragorn nodded, looking at Kylie. "I'm fine Aragorn," she said. It was… well it was truer than when she said it a few days ago.

"What if Boromir and Kylie were to accompany you?" Aragorn asked Éomer.

"What?" Boromir cried. "Aragorn, can we discuss this?"

"Yes Aragorn, I'd like to talk about this!" Kylie chirped in.

"Look, if there's any hope… we need to find Merry and Pippin as quickly as possible. You two are unhealthy, and I believe there are things you could be doing in Rohan right now! Please."

Kylie glared. "I don't want…."

"Alright," Boromir interrupted. "If you really think we are that much of a hindrance!"

"Boromir, what if we just find the remains?" said Aragorn very quietly, but Kylie could still hear. She didn't want to have to see… bodies.

"Fine. But do I _have_ to ride a horse?"

_A/N: Chapter 2 at last! For all loyal readers, I am trying to update as often as possible! I just want to do my best, so I'm not going to write unless I want to. But please review! More positive reviews make me want to write! Constructive criticism and ideas are welcome!_


	3. Chapter 3

Ch. 3: Be Our Guest?

Kylie held on to Éomer for dear life.

"Calm down, you need not fear falling off my horse."

"I've already fallen off a horse, and I don't I want to do it again!" she quickly exhaled.

"Was the horse born and bred in Rohan?" asked Éomer rhetorically.

"No."

"Was the rider born and bred in Rohan?"

"I was by myself, so no."

Éomer chuckled. "Then I believe you are safe. Although I must ask, where are you from?"

"Seattle."

This earned silence from the Rider of Rohan. "Where is this place?"

"Oh, it's on Earth… it's complicated."

"Where in Middle Earth is Earth?"

"Exactly. I have no idea. I really kind of landed here." In more than one sense. Kylie could barely even remember what she was doing before she came here. "You wouldn't know anything about… other worlds and stuff like that would you?"

Éomer shook his head. "I am more learned than the majority in this realm, but I have not heard of such a thing. You would be better to ask Gandalf Greyhame or Elrond of Rivendell."

Kylie grew quiet, thinking about what happened in Moria. "Elrond didn't know," she said simply.

"Then it appears that you will be here for a long time."

Kylie nodded silently.

"Ah, here we are: Edoras."

Kylie looked up to see a city on a hill. It was hard to tell exactly what it looked like from this distance, but it looked very wooden. Almost Viking-like.

"The golden hall," said Éomer wistfully. "It has been many days since I've been home."

Kylie sighed. It had been even more days since she had been home. "Are they expecting us?"

"They will be expecting us to arrive sometime soon, but I do not know what sort of welcome we will receive."

"What do you mean?"

"Like I said before, the king's councilor is a questionable person. Sometimes I think…" he trailed off.

"What?" asked Kylie after it grew clear that Éomer wasn't going to answer.

"Just be wary around him."

Éomer helped Kylie land, and Boromir dismounted to stand by her side.

"Thank you Éomer," said Boromir. "If there is anything we can do here…."

But Éomer held up his hand, looking past both of them. "You may want to delay your gratitude." Kylie turned around to see somebody rushing toward them. This person was a woman with very long blonde hair and a long, white dress.

"Lady Éowyn," said Boromir, taking a step towards her. She, however, almost didn't pay attention to the Gondorian Captain.

"Brother!" she hissed, walking towards them, "where have you been? Disobeying a direct order from the worm…."

"Éowyn, what do you speak of? What happened? Has he hurt you?"

Éowyn quickly shook her head. "No. I am fine, brother. But the worm is on his way to arrest you for disobeying orders! Éomer, he's been waiting for you to cross this line!"

Éomer's expression hardened and he looked at another figure walking towards them. This figure had dark billowing robes, and he was the palest man the Kylie had ever seen. Boromir stepped toward Kylie and put her hood on over her head. "Éowyn, these are our guests. I place them under your protection. Do not worry about me," he added before the man came too close.

"Welcome home Éomer son of Éomund. It has been a long time since you have graced us you're your presence, has it not?" His voice was very soft, barely above a whisper. Kylie shivered.

"I have been dealing with the orcs that I have told you about in great detail," said Éomer, standing his ground.

"And worrying your uncle in the process, naughty," said the man. The worm. "I believe you had orders to stay in Edoras."

"The orcs have been roaming across our lands. If they remain unchecked, more than Théodred will die!"

Here, Boromir looked shocked. "The prince is dead?"

Éomer nodded, eyes glistening. Wormtongue, however, noticed the visitors. "Who are these two?"

"Guests of the Golden Hall," answered Éowyn. "They stay here awaiting their companions," added Éomer.

"Companions?" asked Wormtongue. "And where are these companions may I ask? I do believe you know our law Éomer, and what happens to those who choose to not uphold the law?"

Éowyn paled, but Éomer stood firm. "The others will join us later for judgment. They were right. Our law was not created for this time as lawlessness promoted by the inadequate!"

Wormtongue hissed and motioned the guards forward. They grabbed Éomer, punching him, causing him to double over in pain and shock. "You are under arrest son of Éomund. Your fate lies in the hands of the king." A cruel smile spread across his face as the guards led Éomer away. Then he turned towards Kylie and Boromir. "As for you two…."

"They are guests here under my protection," said Éowyn quickly. "I will show them to their chambers."

Kylie didn't miss the cold look Wormtongue gave them when they walked by.

"Who does that man think he is?" snapped Boromir once they were all alone. "He acts as if he wields the power of Rohan, but he is not in your bloodline my lady!"

"Unfortunately, in a way, he does wield all of our power. My uncle has grown particularly susceptible to his whispers," said Éowyn.

"What does that even mean?" asked Kylie.

"We believe that he has control over my Uncle, and by extension the entire kingdom of Rohan."

"Like mind control?" Kylie was confused. They really did that stuff here?

But Boromir's face darkened. "If Saruman controls the king, we cannot count on Rohan for aid in our quest."

Here, Éowyn turned. "What sort of quest?"

"Our friends are looking for our friends," said Kylie. Well, it was partially true.

Unfortunately, Éowyn didn't buy it. "We do not tell lies in Rohan, so we know when we are lied to. What quest is so important that it would put my brother's life in jeopardy?"

"My lady," said Boromir quickly, "I am sorry, but we cannot tell you. We have been sworn to secrecy. But I can tell you that our quest can change all of our fates."

Éowyn didn't look remotely satisfied, but she backed down. "Very well. I will learn more at a later time. Perhaps your friends will arrive with answers."

"Hopefully so."

Éowyn nodded. "So son of Denethor, we finally meet, although not under the best of circumstances. And who are you? Surely you are not also from Gondor?"  
"No, I'm Kylie I'm from Seattle, but you wouldn't know anything about that," she added quickly at Éowyn's calculating look. "Another universe or something. No idea how I got here."

"Then it appears we are in great need of you," said Éowyn. "We need all who can provide aid."

"Only too true Lady Éowyn," said Boromir solemnly. "My only regret for now is that I am not able to aid my brother in defending my city."  
"You have a brother?" asked Kylie.

"Yes. Faramir. He is younger, but very astute. But never tell him I said that," added Boromir quickly.

Éowyn and Kylie both chuckled. "Here is the infirmary; both of you look as if you had a run-in with orcs or other foul creatures. I will be back later. You are welcome to wander, although I would advise against it." With that, Éowyn walked away, leaving the Fellowship members in front of a small wooden building with several vials in the window.

"Great need of you?" smirked Boromir to Kylie, "Has she seen you shoot?"


	4. Chapter 4

Ch. 3: Of Worms and Arrows

Kylie almost rolled off the sofa/bed/thing in Éowyn's room. Yes, Kylie of Seattle, Washington, United States was staying in the room of Éowyn, princess (if that's the best word) of Rohan. Apparently, it would be better than staying in the guest houses. Kylie wasn't so sure; she couldn't sleep.

The couch thing was just too comfortable from weeks of sleeping on grass.

She finally rolled off, landing on the floor. It was early in the morning, way too early for her taste, but she just could not sleep! She did the only thing she could think of doing. Kylie grabbed her bow and walked to the targets.

Éowyn had shown them to her yesterday after the short session with the doctor. Boromir's wound had been nasty, so they wanted to keep him in much longer to wash and bandage it. A very bored and increasingly restless Kylie gladly accepted a tour of Edoras from Éowyn.

Now, barley twelve hours later, Kylie slugged her way over to the archery pit and pulled a few levers. According to Éowyn, they would make the targets move. Kylie was hoping that she was good enough at this point to shoot something that moved around. She had shot at orcs and goblins recently. Why would this be any different?

She stood behind the wooden bars and shot.

"Ugh!"

Not only did the arrow completely miss, but it didn't even make it to the target. It hit the ground. Surely she was just out of practice. Normally, Legolas would have her shoot at something every day. But she hadn't shot since the incident by the river, and that was how many days ago now?

Legolas. He, Aragorn, and Gimli were all out looking for Merry and Pippin. She had no idea how long they would be, or even if they were alright. Maybe that's why she was so restless. She pulled back further and shot. At least this arrow hit the wooden frame that held up the targets.

There was no way of knowing if Merry and Pippin were even alive, or what happened to them. Twang, this arrow hit the corner of a target. The orcs took them. They even tried to take Kylie herself. Twang, this arrow flew past and hit the hay behind the targets. No, she would not think about the orcs. What about her healthy friends? Where they alright? Had they been captured at this point? This arrow hit a target, just not the one she was aiming for. And they sent her here, to stay in Rohan where she'd be "safe". She was getting better; she was one of the Company, was she not? Why did they treat her differently? The arrow hit her target.

Kylie wiped her brow. Maybe it was just hotter in Rohan than she was used to, or maybe she was just moving around… either way she was thirsty. Kylie turned towards where she came. Her bag was sitting on the ground a few feet away. Automatically, she opened it and got out a bottle of water. That thing was gone faster than she could wonder how such a modern artifact even ended up in her bag.

Suddenly, she got the feeling that somebody was watching her. Kylie quickly turned around to see a black figure walking away.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxx

"There, that will keep your hair in line," said Éowyn as she pulled the last few knots of Kylie's braid.

Kylie had noticed that her hair was hopelessly grown out and that it needed to be rebraided quickly. She tried.

"Kylie, dare I ask what happened to your hair?" Éowyn had said.

That was when the two decided that it should be Éowyn, who had years of experience braiding impossibly long hair, ought to try. Now it was in two braids that curled around Kylie's head, tucking themselves in at the end.

"I think I can handle this," said Kylie, who was looking at it in Éowyn's mirror.

"One can hope. Now I must go; my presence is required at court." Even Kylie noticed that Éowyn said the last part bitterly.

"What's wrong? Is it boring?"

"Aye, it can be. But the Worm_ requests_ that I attend, so I must go or incur his wrath."

"Can't you just not go or something?"

Éowyn paused. "Believe me, that thought has crossed my mind many times. But sometimes it is far better to follow orders unhappily than to rebel and place yourself in needless jeopardy. I can take you to your friend before I leave."

"Yes, that would be great. I'd like to see if the doctors have released Boromir yet." Kylie thought about going to court with Éowyn, but anything directly or indirectly involving Wormtongue would probably be a bad idea.

Éowyn left the younger girl at the guest houses; Kylie knocked on the door.

"Ah, here you are, come in!" said Boromir. "Welcome to my home, where I am currently imprisoned as our dearest friends search for our littlest friends."

"I shot stuff today," said Kylie lamely.

"Did anybody see?" asked Boromir.

Kylie thought about the figure she saw leaving the second she turned around, but she shook her head.

"Good. I believe your skills should be kept secret. Especially in a place where our safety is questioned."

"They might be a bit more surprised if I hit the target," said Kylie.

Boromir nodded with a ghost of a smile on his face. "And how has your knife-work developed?"

"It really hasn't."

"Here, we ought to spar in here. It will pass the time if nothing else."

"I left my daggers in Éowyn's room. Let me go get them."

"Alright. Just hurry back."

Kylie ran back towards the Golden Hall, or at least the building it was in. She took the few turns and entered the first door to Éowyn's chambers. There was her bag, with her arrows and both daggers inside.

Kylie took out her Lórien dagger. It was very light, and the sheath seemed soft enough to hide comfortably on her body like the Lady said. She slipped the over her shoulder and the dagger itself hung snugly on her hip. For good measure, she put her Lórien cloak back on to see how it looked. True to Galadriel's word, she could not see the dagger, even if she knew where to look! "Wow!" She never really had a chance to adore her gift in the wild. Still, there probably wouldn't be much of an opportunity to fight with this. It wasn't in her immediate reach like the Rivendell dagger was. Sighing, Kylie strapped that one around her waist.

"A woman bearing arms is not a thing unheard of in the Riddermark," said a soft voice, "but many do not make an attempt to fool their gracious hosts."

Kylie jumped and turned around. Wormtongue! She immediately tried to calm down. "I've been traveling in the wild. You need to have something out there."

Wormtongue walked in and closed the door. "In this Kingdom, we greatly value honesty. I do not object to you having weapons. However, you should have no reason to hide the fact that you are a woman."

"Woman? I'm fourteen!" Kylie gasped. Or was she fifteen at this point? How long had she been in Middle Earth?

Wormtongue looked slightly confused at the outburst, but simply continued. "Why does your purpose cause you to hide your identity?"

"It doesn't! What we're doing has nothing to do with me being a girl!"

Wormtongue moved closer. "Then what is your purpose?" he asked softly.

"Just going… going…." Kylie realized she had no idea what direction Mordor was in.

"Going where?"

"Going…." Kylie clamped her mouth shut. Almost too late, she realized what he was trying to do. "Wherever."

Wormtongue moved closer, barely a foot away. Kylie stepped back a little. "I just ask," he asked, "for the sake of my kingdom."

"Your kingdom?" asked Kylie, clinching her fists as his hand began to move.

The door opened, and Boromir walked through. "Kylie! You… you leave us alone," he commanded. Boromir sounded scary, almost deadly even.

"I think you will find, son of Denethor, that I do have authority in this Kingdom. Guards!" Boromir didn't wait for anybody to come, and grabbed Kylie, dragging her from the room.

"Are you alright?" he asked as they walked away.

"I'm fine… but Boromir… what's going on?"

But Boromir just kept walking. Kylie almost had to run to catch up. "Boromir?"

"I should have done this the moment we arrived. The moment Éomer was arrested!"

"What? Boromir, what's going on?"

"They… _he_ thinks he's going to arrest me. Not before I notify my father! Do you see them?" The two reached a building.

"No…."

"Good." Kylie didn't even have a chance to react as Boromir dragged her in.

"I need paper and a pen please!" he demanded. The poor man at the desk just nodded quickly and grabbed the two objects. Boromir released Kylie's wrist and scribbled a note.

"Wax!"

The man obliged and Boromir quickly sealed the note, addressing it with one swift loop. "Take this to Gondor and give it to the Steward. Now!" The man literally jumped, and ran to the back stables.

"What was that all about?" cried Kylie.

"Aragorn may not trust the power of my city, but this Leech will quickly learn what it means to usurp an ally!"

"I thought he was a worm?"

Boromir glance hardly and the door burst open. "Lord Boromir?" asked the guards. "We have been ordered to place you under arrest."

To Kylie's surprise, Boromir laughed. "Under whose authority? Not King Théoden's, of course!"

"No, under that of Gríma Wormtongue."

Boromir laughed some more. "And what makes Wormtongue believe I will just come quietly?"  
"Because," said the guard, "he ordered that if there was any disturbance, he ordered the girl to be brought to him."

Kylie's hand reached for the hilt of her dagger. If there was going to be a fight… it wouldn't end well.

Boromir saw this too, and raised his arms. "Then take me. But you have not heard the last of this, I swear."

"Wait, this isn't fair!" Kylie ran after them. "Boromir was just trying…."

"Listen young lady," said one of the guards. "Master Wormtongue has extended authority on these lands. To question him in any way would be most unwise. I suggest you just lie low, and surround yourself with others at all times. I am sorry."

With that, the guards and Boromir walked away.

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For not the first time since coming to Middle Earth, Kylie almost sat down and cried. It was not fair! She was stuck here, in this completely foreign city, alone. Who knew if anybody was back here! And now with Boromir arrested… why did they make her stay back here?

Kylie leaned against one of the pillars on the Golden Hall, staring blankly out in the distance. But then something caught her eye. On the horizon, she could barely see it, but on the horizon she thought that she saw horses coming this way. Horses, didn't Éomer give her friends horses? Was it possible? As the mystery riders got closer, she saw there were three horses. As they got closer, Kylie could even make out the colors. Two were darker, but one was white.

Even if those two were her friends, who was the rider of the white horse?


	5. Chapter 5

Ch. 5: The White Rider

"Kylie?"

Kylie turned around to see Éowyn only a few feet behind her.

"What happened?"

"They took Boromir. Boromir pissed Wormtongue off… they took him to the dungeons!"

Éowyn bit her lip. "That man and his pride will be the downfall of many! Yet this all makes more sense."

"What does?" Everything was more confusing for Kylie.  
"I was ordered to bring you to court."

"What? What did I do?"

"I think the Worm just wants to keep his eye on you. I suppose he's afraid you might create even more complications. But still, perhaps this is not such a horrible idea after all."

"What are you talking about?"

"In court you will be with me, and there I can keep an eye on you."

"But I'm fine!" Kylie knew she wouldn't cause any trouble. Or probably not. Depended on what Wormtongue defined as "trouble". But then how was she supposed to break Boromir out of jail?

"Now is not the time for arguments," said Éowyn, shrugging. "Perhaps we can discuss this matter more in the safety of my chambers. But for now, let us go get you dressed."

"Dressed? I am dressed."

"In rather inappropriate attire. Especially for court, I might add. Besides," Éowyn added with a trace of a twinkle in her eye, "it gives us further opportunity to distance ourselves from the Worm."

Kylie was not about to pass up that opportunity.

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"OUCH!" For the fifth time, Kylie tripped on her skirt. It wasn't her skirt; it was Éowyn's… and that was the problem. Éowyn was easily a foot taller than Kylie.

"How you ever survived in the wild, I have yet to discover!" grunted Éowyn as she helped Kylie regain her footing.

"Well, I was in clothes that fit! Pants are easier to move in." Kylie indignantly wiped off the dress in an attempt to remove any remaining bread crumbs. Perhaps the passage through the kitchen was not such a brilliant idea after all.

Éowyn muttered something in a different language and continued on. It was becoming clear that she was growing tired of Kylie's "mischief" and antics.

"Well it's not like I try to fall over tables and chairs?"

"And animals?"

"Cats and I just don't get along…."

The two walked through the winding hallway slowly. Kylie was adjusting her skirts and Éowyn didn't seem too anxious to get back to court. "You don't think he'll miss us if we just take a little bit longer, do you?"

"As much as I would love to dally, or perhaps watch you tangle yourself in the other half of the castle, we must enter soon. Remember how short of a leash you are on. I believe your friend's imprisonment has hinted some of your peril?"

Kylie shrugged. "It tells me that I want to stay as far from the Worm as I can."

Éowyn put her hand on the door. "Remember, this is a sort of game. You must step in line for the time being or face even more dire consequences." She opened the door, but shut it immediately. There was a giant THUD on the other side.

"What?" cried Kylie as she opened the door again. One of the guards, who had been leaning on the door, fell on top of her.

"Umph! What? Éowyn!" she cried.

The older woman was already out of sight. Kylie rolled the guard, who was very out of it, off her and rushed into the room. Her jaw dropped.

It was a full-out fight! To Kylie's complete and total surprise, Aragorn and Legolas and Gimli were beating up the guards. They seemed to be defending an old man dressed in white who was speaking to King Théoden.

"Too long have you served in the shadows!" the man said. He seemed somehow familiar….

But Kylie didn't think about it. She ran out into the fray. If her friends had a good reason to beat up these guards, then she did too.

WACK! Legolas elbowed some guy in the face. As he fell to the ground, Kylie kicked him for good measure. She jumped on a guy that Gimli was fighting. Maybe she contributed… maybe not… either way the guy lost balance and fell when Gimli slammed into him. Kylie fell to the side.

"Well met lass," he said. Then the two moved onto Wormtongue.

The man had gone from powering and imposing to a writhing worm on the floor. Kylie grabbed a spear from the ground and brought it over. Gimli was already there. "I would stay still if I were you," he hissed. Kylie only glared and pointed the spear.

"Harken to me!" said the strange man. The room stayed still. "I release you."

Kylie didn't know what she was expecting, but it didn't happen. The old king just laughed. "You have no power here!" He hissed.

But then the strange man raised his white staff and the entire room lit up as if there were a bunch of light bulbs, and they all went on super-power.

King Théoden slumped over in his chair and Éowyn raced forward. For a minute, Kylie's heart stopped. She couldn't believe her friends would come here just to kill the king. She just looked at Gimli and moved the spear closer to Wormtongue's face. Kylie didn't breathe until the king began to sit up again.

Her eyes widened. The king was de-aging before her very eyes! His face easily lost thirty years, and his hair shortened and changed from a nasty gray to gold. The most drastic change was his eyes. They weren't so foggy anymore. He looked at Éowyn, who was still at his side. "I know your face." She hugged him, and he returned it. "Dark have been my dreams of late."

King Théoden released his niece, stood up, and looked down at his fingers which were no longer white and frail.

"Your fingers would remember their old strength better if they grasped your sword," counseled the old man in white.

"No my lord! This is not our policy, remember?" Wormtongue squeaked. He stopped when Gimli pressed his foot down harder.

"I hardly remember any policy involving my very honor. And what have you done? I remember your whispers… almost as if from a nightmare. But what have you done?" Théoden looked around. "Where is my son? Where is my nephew?"

"Sir, Lord Éomer is currently imprisoned Lord," Kylie spoke up. "_He_," she continued, kicking Wormtongue, "put him in prison for disloyalty or something… but he wasn't! He just brought me and a friend back to speak with you!"

Théoden gestured to one of the guards. "Bring Éomer to me, and fetch me my sword. And you two hold _him_." Two guards came and relieved Kylie and Gimli of their duty.

"My Lord, come. See your kingdom. Breathe the free air again," said the white-cloaked man. He finally turned around and Kylie briefly saw his face. Once again, there was something vaguely familiar about it.

"Make way for the King! Make way for King Théoden!" cried another guard as Théoden made his way toward the entrance of the grand hall.

"Cast aside your prop; you need it not," said the robed man. Théoden nodded and dropped a black staff without a look back. It cracked on the stone floor.

"I feel as if I had just awakened. If only you had come sooner. I fear there may be damage caused that I cannot easily repair."

Kylie looked at Éowyn, who had a grim look on her face. Something was wrong.

Another door opened, and the guard who had left minutes before came, followed by a very disheveled looking Éomer. The later was holding a very impressive looking sword.

"My Lord?" Éomer said. He continued speaking when Théoden, his uncle, turned around. "I would lay my own sword at your feet. But because I do not have access to my own weapon, I bring you yours as a token of my loyalty." Éomer knelt and gave his uncle his sword, which Théoden accepted.

"Well met Éomer, sister-son. But tell me, where is Théodred? I much desire to speak with him."

Kylie could not see Éomer's face, but she heard a certain strain in his voice. "My Lord… your son… my dear cousin… he fell in battle."

The room paused again. Kylie looked up at Éowyn who continued to stare ahead.

The King looked broken again. "My son… my only child! How could I have allowed…? What have…?" The King looked over at Wormtongue. There was a deadly glint in his eyes. "You! You have done this!" Kylie literally backed up as Théoden advanced toward Wormtongue, sword drawn. "This creature has no more business in my halls."

Wormtongue squealed as his two guards hurled him out of the palace doors. Kylie ran forward just in time to see the man hit the bottom step with a thud. His lip was bleeding and he was crawling away from a wrathful king. "I have only ever served you my lord!" he whimpered.

"You would have me crawling on all fours like a beast!"

Kylie walked forward, but the man in the white cloak held her back. Probably a good thing too… she wasn't completely sure she wanted to see what was to follow. In fact, she winced and closed her eyes as Théoden raised his sword to bring it down on the worm of a man.

"No! My Lord, wait!" Kylie opened her eyes to see Aragorn practically wrestling with King Théoden, saving Wormtongue's life. "Enough blood has been shed on his account."

That short delay was enough. Wormtongue rolled over and sprinted away. He was on a horse before Kylie realized exactly what he was doing. "Wait, he's getting away! Legolas, shoot him!" she cried as she drew her own bow.

"He is not worth our time. Nor yours, Théoden King."

Kylie finally looked up at the robed man. He was old looking… although she could easily guess that from the white hair and long robes. He looked back at her, and smiled. Kylie could see years of wisdom in his eyes… which were incredibly familiar... wait… there was no way….

"Gandalf?"

A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I feel like this was a harder chapter to write because it's not very action packed... at least for Kylie. Reviews always appreciated! :)


	6. Chapter 6

Ch. 6: Reunions and Releases

Kylie had never been to a funeral before. She decided that unless you actually knew the person who died, it was just a very awkward event. Sad, but awkward. She stood there, still in Éowyn's dress, and stared ahead as the soldiers slid the body in the tomb. If nothing else, it was an eerie sight. Théodred's body was pale and there was a trace of a smell. Clearly they had cleaned the body before burial, but Kylie could see traces of blood where he received his fatal wound.

"Never experienced death before?" asked Aragorn as they left. The fellowship, the part still intact, was reunited again.

"We don't exactly have wars or anything in Seattle," she muttered.

"But humans do experience disease and other such means of death," stated Legolas.

"Well… my family's young I guess. We just haven't had any of that."

"Learn to live with it lass, we're in a war now."

Legolas must have seen the horrified look on Kylie's face because he changed the subject very quickly. "What has occurred in our absence?"

"Nothing you can't guess. Wormtongue was just…" she shivered.

"Did he threaten you?" asked Aragorn.

"In a manner of speaking. He's just a creep. But what about you? You found Gandalf? What happened?"

"It's difficult to explain," began Legolas, "but after we left you, we traveled to the outskirts of Fangorn Forest. We did not find Merry and Pippin, nor did we find their bodies."

"We did find all the orcs Lord Éomer mentioned," added Gimli. "They certainly made quick work of them!"

"Anyway," Legolas continued, "we finally entered the Fangorn Forest itself to continue our search. Then, we saw Gandalf. We believed him to be Saruman, the white wizard, and attacked. But he identified himself and assured us that Merry and Pippin are safe."

"Where are they?"

"I assume with the Ents of the forest."

"Ents?"

"Shepherds of the forest so to speak. They should be perfectly safe there. More than us at least."

"What do you mean?"

Legolas just stared off in the distance. "Something approaches. It is difficult to say exactly what, but there is something dark is coming."

"That and Gandalf said he suspected an attack on Edoras," said Aragorn.

Legolas glared.

"But where is Boromir hiding?" asked Gimli. "I'm sure we'd all love to see what exactly his insight is on the situation."

"Oh Boromir is.…" Kylie's eyes widened.

"What? Kylie, where is Boromir?"

"I… can't believe I forgot… we just left him in prison!"

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Needless to say, Boromir was delighted to see the King, and his friends, outside the cell to release him. He was less than delighted to learn that he had been there nearly eight hours longer than necessary. But another few hours and some yelling later, he was back to his usual self.

"And you say that you believe that Saruman may be looking to mount an attack on Rohan?" asked Boromir. Everybody had been gathered in the Golden Hall for a sort of war council. Even Kylie had been invited.

"I would say an attack is imminent," said Gandalf. "Yet, there may be time to destroy the threat."

"Ha! In a few days, we will have several men of Gondor here to help us with the battle."

"Perhaps, but we must try to muster our people faster than that," said Éomer. "Based on how conditions have been here, the White Wizard may be more prepared than we could anticipate."

Théoden nodded. "What has happened in this time?"

"Villages have been attacked. The orcs have been moving across our lands unchecked and unchallenged. Théodred did try to stand up to them, my lord."

The king simply nodded. "And now I must continue to do what my son began."

"You must fight," urged Gandalf.

"How quickly can you muster the Rohirrim?" asked Aragorn.

"We can probably gather men from Edoras in a day, and the surrounding villages in three," estimated Éomer.

Gandalf nodded solemnly. "Better to begin sooner than later."

"Yes. Now is the time to fight. I will gather forces here in Edoras, and I would like Gandalf to help me" said the King. "Éomer, Aragorn, Háma, and Kylie, I want you to ride to the southern village and gather all able-bodied men from the village. Boromir, Legolas, Gamling, and Gimli, I would request that you ride north and gather men from there. We must have the manpower to sustain this attack. Gandalf, do you believe that will be enough?"

Gandalf simply stared ahead. "We must strike soon. There is no time to waste. Unfortunately, I have an urgent errand to run."

"You're leaving? Then if we have even a little time, we must wait for Gondor," insisted Boromir.

"How long would you believe it will be?"

Boromir looked down. "It could be about a week."

"By then Saruman may have thousands of more Uruk-Hai. Enough time has been wasted."

Boromir looked slightly put off, but he was not about to argue with the new White Wizard.

"Then it is settled. Please leave quickly so we can gather these forces."

Aragorn nodded and looked at Éomer. "Come Kylie," he said, "it is time to take a short trip south."

"Very short trip," added Éomer, "the village in question is barely 20 minutes ride."

Kylie shivered. Even though she survived the last ride, she was not too anxious to get back on a horse.


	7. Chapter 7

Ch. 7: Ambushes

"Kylie, if you act like the horse will buck you off at any moment, it just may choose to," said Aragorn. They had already been riding for fifteen minutes, but Kylie had spent the whole time holding onto the reins for dear life.

"You know," said Háma, "that our horses are bred to know the minds of their riders. They usually attempt to do whatever the rider has in mind, for better or worse."

Kylie's body stiffened and she stared wide-eyed at Háma.

"Háma, don't scare the girl!" laughed Éomer. "But the horse trusts the rider about as much as he trusts the horse. Or she in this case."

That didn't make Kylie feel any better. "How much further is this place?"

"It depends on if we go quickly or slow."

"Let's just go faster and get this over with."

"But a trotting horse bounces. That would not cause a problem for you Kylie, would it?" teased Éomer.

"Why you let me have my own horse I still have yet to understand," she groaned.

"You will be fine. The steeds of the Rohirrim seldom let their riders fall," said Aragorn. "Although," he grinned, "you may be the one exception."

All the men laughed.

"You should be able to guess exactly why I don't like horses Aragorn!" she cried indignantly.

He nodded. "There are many fascinating tales of Kylie and the effects of misfortune." The men laughed more.

"Wait!" said Éomer, holding up a hand. They all came to a halt. The village was there, but in ruins. What may have once been buildings were piles of stones and burned sticks. There was even a dead cow where the center of town must have been.

"Kylie, stay here," said Aragorn as he dismounted and drew his sword. Éomer and Háma both did the same.

"Wait, can someone get me off the horse please? Guys?" Kylie squealed. But the three men both dispersed into the village, looking for any sign of life… or otherwise. Kylie wanted to draw her bow. She really did… but that would involve letting go of the reins.

Finally, Aragorn came back and helped Kylie off her horse. "It appears that the villagers left before the orc raiders came."

"Orc raiders? What do you mean?"

"This," said Éomer. He showed a helmet with a painted white hand. "This is the helm of the Uruk-Hai of Saruman."

"And they were here maybe a week ago," said Aragorn, surveying the ground.

"So where did everybody go?"

"Perhaps they received warning. A few of the villages have," said Éomer.

"They may have fled to Helm's Deep," said Háma.

"Helm's Deep?"

"A fortress in the mountain. It is probably the safest place in Rohan. They say that it has never fallen while its men defend it."

"Then the question is," said Éomer, "do we have the time to ride to Helm's Deep? It is further. We may not be able to make the rendezvous at Edoras, especially if we are able to gather every man in the fortress."

Aragorn shook his head. "We may need those men in the fight."

"We need to get back. Perhaps Saruman's forces are not as threatening as we believe," said Háma hopefully.

"That is a gamble we do not wish to take," said Aragorn solemnly. "We ought to go."

"Back to the horses?" moaned Kylie.

"Yes."

She moaned again.

Aragorn laughed at her. "I will ride slower with you. Éomer and Háma, you can ride ahead and begin gathering forces. Come Kylie."

She groaned.

Aragorn snorted and they walked back to the horses.

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"Now can you tell me exactly how many times you've fallen off a horse here," Aragorn said after several minutes of light riding.

"Well, here I haven't."

"Have you ever fallen off a horse?"

"No…."

"Then would you care to explain your fear?"

"I've just one too many accidents involving other things. I've fallen off a bridge, benches, and bicycles."

Aragorn nodded, even though he clearly had no idea what a "bicycle" was.

"Besides, I've never been a big fan of anything high," Kylie continued. She opened her mouth to say more, but Aragorn raised his hand.

"Shhh… do you hear it?"

Kylie shut her mouth and looked around. She didn't hear anything though.

Aragorn pulled his reins and had the horse trot toward a hill on the left. Kylie pulled her reins and her horse followed. "What is it? What do you hear?" she said loudly as she pulled closer. Aragorn didn't answer… and Kylie saw why.

She froze in place and her eyes went wide. There, not too far away, marched a giant army. There must have been thousands! Tens of thousands… and they were all armed with giant spears. Kylie could even see large jagged swords on the ones closest. This must be what Gandalf was talking about: Saruman's fighting Uruk-hai.

Aragorn pulled away and motioned for Kylie to follow. His horse went faster, and Kylie's horse did too. She tried to pull to make it slow down, but it was almost as if the horse sensed the danger its riders were in and sped up.

"We need to warn Éomer and Háma. There is no hope to win against these forces in open battle. We may be safe in the Hornburg."

"We're going back to Edoras?"

"Yes."

Then a piercing cry hit the air. As suddenly as it began, it stopped.

"Come!" cried Aragorn and he pulled his horse into full gallop. Kylie's horse began to gallop too, and she began to scream. It slowed down a bit, but she was still hugging onto that horse for dear life.

Chaos erupted. Of course, Aragorn arrived first. Éomer and Háma had been attacked by orcs on some of the ugliest wolves Kylie had ever seen. He jumped off the horse and joined Éomer in the fight against two of the animals. Forgetting her fear of falling, Kylie found a third wolf-creature and pulled her bow. She couldn't get off her horse. No matter how much help she had received here or in Rivendell, she had no idea how right now. She aimed at the beast and shot.

It was a decent shot; it did land by the creature's neck. But it just turned around and growled at her. Kylie tried to stay calm and just notch another arrow, but her hands were shaking. She quickly shot at the orc riding the creature. She hit it, but the creature kept running! It jumped.

Kylie had no choice. She dove off the horse. She screamed as she felt the creature right above her. Its claws missed her face by inches. "Ugh!" She landed hard on her back and just couldn't breathe. But she had no time to recover. Kylie reached for her knife and rolled over, trying to ignore the pain in her shoulder. But it hurt when she raised it. Kylie winced and grabbed her arm, leaving her completely vulnerable to the attacking creature. It growled and stalked toward her.

Éomer jumped on the creature, hacking it with his sword. It didn't kill the animal, but the attack did cause it forget the vulnerable girl lying just feet away. Kylie let go of her knife and grabbed the bow again. She notched an arrow and aimed it at the creature's eye. It missed, but hit it in the ear. The creature howled, giving Kylie just enough time to notch another arrow and shoot it at the neck again. In and of itself, that didn't do much, but one last blow from Éomer finished it off.

Kylie dropped to the ground shaking. She had been in fights before… but it was something about those animals.

"You alright?" asked Éomer, offering the girl a hand up.

"Yea… I'm fine," said Kylie, grabbing her shoulder.

Aragorn walked over. "Here, let me help," he said, touching her shoulder. "It's dislocated. I need to pull it back into place."

"Okay, I'm ready," said Kylie. Sadly enough, she was used to this sort of thing. Aragorn pulled and she winced in pain, but then it was over.

"Where's Háma?" she asked as Aragorn massaged her shoulder socket. Both men looked at each other. What they didn't say was much louder than anything they could have. "Oh. He's dead." They nodded. Kylie nodded and shivered a bit.

"There, good as new," said Aragorn. "You stay here while we… we need to give respect to the dead."

"What about me?"

"Trust me," said Éomer, "this is something you don't want to see."

"But…."

"Just stay here." The two men left to bury the body.

Kylie couldn't stay put. First, there was just too must adrenaline racing through her body. Second, it just didn't feel right for her to just stay here. She'd only known Háma for a few hours really, but it felt wrong to just stay and not do anything. She walked out a few yards, and saw the thousands of orcs marching. They really needed to move. Sure there was not too much she could do, but Kylie knew that Aragorn and Éomer would move a lot faster with an extra pair of hands.

"I'm going to help," she announced as she walked back, but she stopped cold. Éomer was right… she didn't want to see this. Háma's body was completely mutilated. His torso was torn to shreds, but that was not the worst part. The worst was his head. It had been ripped clean off.

Kylie ran to the edge of the hill and threw up.


	8. Chapter 8

Ch. 7: Race to the Deep

The three survivors raced back. This time, Kylie rode with Aragorn. After she had spent nearly ten minutes throwing up everything in her stomach, they decided that she was in no condition to ride on her own horse. Besides, it was helpful to have an extra horse to send a warning to Helm's Deep. Háma's horse had been injured beyond recovery, and Éomer had to kill it.

Finally, they reached Edoras. Good thing too. Kylie was feeling very tired, almost completely exhausted. The second she dismounted, she dragged herself toward the Éowyn's chambers. It was empty, so Kylie quickly snatched her bag and left. Thankfully, there was a bag of Hershey's Kisses inside.

The guest house, too, was completely empty. Kylie walked over to the first empty bed to lie down… just for a minute.

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"Kylie?"

She rolled over. Had she really fallen asleep?

"Kylie, you need to wake up."

Kylie opened her eyes. Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and Boromir were all standing above her.

"Come, we must leave now," said Aragorn.

"I'm up," she said slowly.

Aragorn nodded and looked purposively at Legolas. The elf nodded back and Aragorn left.

"Come Kylie, everybody is leaving to Helm's Deep. We need to leave right now."

"Alright."

"Legolas take the bag to the horses," said Boromir, tossing Kylie's tennis bag to the elf. "I'll take her to the armory."

The elf looked at Boromir and nodded. "No more than five minutes. We do have to leave quickly."

"Yes, I know. Come Kylie, you need some better equipment for this fight."

Kylie just nodded and followed Boromir.

"I heard about what happened to Háma," said Boromir once they were a distance away.

"About… yeah…" she said.

"Are you alright?"

"Fine."

Boromir raised an eyebrow as if he didn't completely understand what that response meant. Which he probably didn't.

"Nothing's wrong," Kylie clarified.

"Nothing? You see a man gruesomely killed and you say that it is nothing?"

"It was weird, but nothing I can't get over," she said lamely.

"Perhaps, or perhaps not. But a thing like that is enough to make a man go mad. I have seen it happen before," he said, opening the door to a room filled with weapons and all other tools for war.

"I won't go crazy."

"For your sake I hope not."

The two began to dig through the armory. Kylie picked up a green shield. "When's the first time you saw someone die?" she asked quietly.

"I was young. Nineteen, I believe, and the newest captain in Gondor."

"You were a captain?"

He smiled. "That sort of thing happens when your father is the Steward. I was leading a group of men through Osgiliath. We have been losing our foothold in the city for years, but my father demands that we maintain whatever we have. At that time, we had a much better grasp of the city and presumably not as much to fear. But that day my company was ambushed by orcs. We drove them off, but they left two of my men dead."

"And what happened?"

"Well if it means anything, I've not forgotten single detail of that day. If ever you visit Osgiliath, I could take you where I found them."

"What's your point?"

"My point is that death is not something easily forgotten. And it shouldn't be."

Kylie nodded. "So what do I do? I just… I can't forget it."

"You probably will not. Just remember that you can talk to any one of us if you need it. We have all seen death somehow. Do you understand?"

"Alright."

"Good. Now, I believe you should try this chainmail on for size."

"Chainmail, why?"

"This is going to be a full-scale battle. You need to have some sort of armor."

"I already have a chain shirt."

"Kylie, this is to be a full battle. You need s full chain suit."

"Okay, whatever you say," she said, trying to figure out which side the head went in.

"Here, perhaps you should try this helmet too," Boromir said, tossing Kylie a heavy helm. She fell over when she caught it.

"What? This thing will kill me faster than the orcs!" she cried.

"You will learn to live with it. Your head is the most important part to protect."

Kylie had flashbacks to Háma's body and put on the helmet. It fit fine enough.

"Here, try this shield too. It is larger than the one you have. And do you think this breastplate is light enough for you to wear?" Boromir asked, tossing each item to Kylie.

"Ugh! No way! I can't fit in all of this…."

They both turned towards the door as a horn blew. Boromir sighed. "We have tarried here too long. We need to leave so we can reach Helm's Deep before the orcs. Do not put down that chainmail!"

Kylie sighed. It was worth a shot. "How fast will that be? The orcs… and us?" she asked, following Boromir out the door.

"Impossible to say. Aragorn believes, if we get there, we can have one slight advantage. They do not know we approach, so we may just reach Helm's Deep in time."

"And what do you think?" Kylie asked Boromir as they reached the door to the outside.

He sighed. "I've learned better than to hope."

Boromir opened the door and Kylie almost gasped in surprise. She knew that everybody was in a hurry, but she had no idea that there would literally be people running around in a mad rush to leave. Even small children with little packs were climbing onto horses behind their parents.

"The King believes it is unwise to leave all of his subjects unprotected," said Boromir unhappily.

"What do you mean?"

"Kylie, we are fleeing to a mountain. Suppose we cannot win this fight, they will have nowhere to run."

Kylie's stomach turned.

"Ah Boromir, you know naught of the workings of caves," said Gimli from behind them. "Every mountain fortress has intricate workings in the rocks. There is always a sort of exit through those paths."

"Please don't tell me it's anything like Moria," shivered Kylie. The last thing they needed war orcs on one side and goblins on the other.

"Rock is all rock in my opinion," said Legolas, mounting his horse.

"Ah master elf, even you must realize the work in the kingdom was awe-inspiring. It just has the misfortune of being ruled by evil. Perhaps someday, when this is all over…" Gimli continued wistfully.

"Come master dwarf," said Legolas, "it is time to explore these 'intricate workings', as you describe them."

"If only I could do so on foot!" muttered Gimli. He then proceeded to try to jump onto the horse.

"Would you like some assistance," said Legolas, "or perhaps should I find you a box?"

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Needless to say, there was not a lot of talk between Edoras and Helm's Deep. Everybody was galloping as if the very forces of Hell were following them… which they were. And Kylie, of course, was holding on for dear life.

When they arrived, Boromir rubbed his chest. "Kylie, could you have possibly held on a little tighter?"

"Don't challenge her," joked Legolas.

"Perhaps would you consider trading companions for the return trip?" asked Boromir.

Legolas gave the man a look of mock horror. "Me? Trade? I wouldn't dream of it."

"Thanks," said Kylie.

"Legolas," said Aragorn, who was rushing through crowds of riders to his four companions, "did you see the orcs approaching as we rode?"

Legolas nodded. "They did not appear to be too close. If I were needed to estimate their arrival, I'd say they ought to arrive sometime tonight."

Aragorn grimaced. "So they know we arrived?"

"Doubtlessly."

"That is no large matter," said Théoden. "We should be able to organize ourselves by nightfall."

"Still," said Boromir, "thousands of orcs are approaching, and we have perhaps a few hundred men."

Théoden nodded slowly. "Lord Aragorn, exactly how many forces did you say there were?"

He shrugged. "Ten thousand strong at least. They have clearly been bread specifically for… for destroying the world of men."

Théoden nodded. "Gamling. I need you to issue an order. Every male and strong enough to bear arms is to report to the armory immediately. And I need you to see who can use a bow. Anybody who can shoot needs to be equipped with one and placed on the upper wall. Master elf, would you be willing to lead such a force?" Legolas nodded. "Good. Gamling, you have your orders. Lord Aragorn and Lord Boromir, come with me."

They began to disperse. Kylie followed Legolas and Gimli up to the walls of the Hornburg. She looked down. Bad idea. It was a long drop. She looked out. Worse idea. She could see all the orcs marching toward them in the distance.

"There truly are that many," said Legolas.

Kylie nodded. She couldn't see them very well, but she remembered them vividly from earlier.

Gimli jumped up for a few minutes. "I'll take your word on it laddie."

Legolas shook his head. "I do not wish to imply that Háma's fate was good in any way, but it is probably good that you have some experience with death Kylie," he said softly. "There will be much death tonight.

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Kylie rolled in her cloak. Legolas told her to get some sleep, so she did, and there was just not another place to sleep. She just fluffed up her tennis bag and used it as a pillow. After tossing and turning and a few songs from Legolas, Kylie finally fell asleep.

She had the strangest dream ever. She was in a completely white room. The walls were white. The ceiling was white. The floors felt cold like tile, but it didn't look like tile. It didn't look like anything.

"Hello?" she called. Her voice bounced off the walls. "Hello? Anybody here? Legolas? Boromir? Aragorn? Gimli?" Kylie ran to the wall and felt for any kind of opening. "Hello?" she called a little louder.

"Kylie?" she heard a very soft voice echoing through the room.

"Hello?" she couldn't distinguish it, but it sounded familiar.

"Kylie, you need to wake up sweetheart," said the voice, just a little louder.

"Who is it?" Kylie was yelling by now.

Then she turned around. A bench had appeared against one of the walls. Sitting on the bench was her mother.

"Kylie, you need to wake up."

"Mom?"

Her mother's voice sounded more urgent. "Kylie? You need to wake up now!"

"Mom what you talking about? I'm awake!" Her voice sounded more and more slurred.

"Kylie! Wake up!" She cried… but her voice was sounding more distant, and was changing.

"I'm up… I'm up…" Kylie mumbled.

She was shaken out of the dream. Legolas's face was in front of hers. "Kylie, you need to wake up now. More riders have just arrived, with the enemy at their feet. I think the battle is about to begin."

A/N: Dang, I've been writing like crazy lately! Let's just blame the release of the Hobbit, shall we? Anyway, hope you've enjoyed the story. The Battle of Helm's Deep starts next. I just want to take a second to beg for reviews! I want to know what you guys like about this tory, what you don't like, what you'd change, what you like about my attempt to adapt Tolkien's world and so forth. Please let me know, and Helm's Deep pt 1 should come in a few days!


	9. Chapter 9

Ch. 9: The Battle of Helm's Deep

"What?" Kylie was immediately rattled from her sleep. "They're here?"

"Yes, look!" said Legolas.

It was dark so Kylie couldn't see the Uruk-hai. All she could see thousands of lanterns, perhaps a few hundred feet away from the fortress walls. "Ugh, could this night get any worse?"

Almost immediately, there was a clap of thunder. The rain came in torrents.

"Ah, Thank you Ms. Kylie! Nothin' like a little rain to make this battle more interesting!" cried Gimli.

"Quick, take arms! Kylie, use these" the elf said, giving her an extra quiver of arrows. "You will need this ere the battle is done."

"Where is Boromir? And Aragorn?"

"The lads are on other parts of the wall," said Gimli, fidgeting in anticipation.

"Legolas, ready your archers!" called a voice from the distance. Kylie thought she could see Aragorn on the other side of the Keep.

"Archers, find a mark!" Legolas called. "Shoot toward the lights. If you can, the armor is weakest at the base of the neck and under the arm!"

Kylie notched an arrow and looked around. She was not among any seasoned archers of Rohan. Sure there were a few, but most of the men looked old enough to be her grandpa. Then there were boys. Kylie saw at least four who she was positive were younger than her. She barely remembered the King calling for everybody who could shoot. What this everybody?

"Ahh!" growled Gimli, "let the battle begin! My axe has seen naught but wood since Moria!"

"Hold your fire," said Legolas to the archers. He was waiting for something. Maybe it was something Kylie just could not see or some sort of signal. Still, she picked a light and aimed her bow, getting ready to draw back.

Suddenly, Legolas appeared next to her again, but his bow was equipped with two arrows. Both were on fire.

"SHOOT!" he called out.

The air hissed as arrows approached their targets. Kylie had no idea if her arrow reached its mark, but she heard several cries among the orcs. Then, she saw something light up on the ground. She was not sure what it was but she did not care. It made the targets easier to see.

"Legolas! How'd you do that?" she cried, looking at the elf.

"FIRE AGAIN! Come Kylie," he said, leading her back a few feet. There was a torch and a bucket full of something wet that smelled absolutely disgusting.

"Watch," said the elf. He then proceeded to dunk the tip of his arrow into the liquid, and then put it to the torch. The arrow caught fire. "Oil. If you wish to use it, I will not stop you. But take extra care, and try to aim towards the ladders if you do."

"Ladders… they have ladders?" she cried.

"Hurry! We must fight! GO!" Legolas called again. Again, the men of Rohan (and Kylie) let dozens of arrows fly. Now the orcs were close enough that Kylie could see some fall to the ground. The light from Legolas's fire gave her just enough light to see. Still… no ladders.

"Fire at will!" Legolas called.

That was that. Kylie shot and shot and shot and shot. The cries were getting much louder. Then she heard a hissing noise immediately pass her on her left.

"They're shooting at us!" cried one of the younger boys.

"Keep firing, do not stop! Most of their shots now are wasted arrows. Take advantage of the protection of these walls while we still have it!" Aragorn had now reached this side of the Hornburg. He took out a bow and also began to shoot.

"Aragorn, the ladders!" cried Legolas.

"Watch out!" Kylie screamed. She saw the ladders now. The orcs were shooting them up to the wall! Suddenly, there was a loud explosion. Kylie ducked as something large shot up at her. It missed her by inches, but it smacked one of the young boys in the head. His helmet flew off and he crumpled over.

"You okay?" She crawled over to where he lay, but was immediately pulled to her feet.

"Get up!" cried Legolas. "They approach!"

No sooner had he said that when Kylie saw the large, ugly face of an Uruk over the wall. She ran over and hit it with her shield. It fell over, but another one quickly replaced it.

"Move!" Gimli yelled, jumping in front of Kylie. He yelled something that sounded like it could have been dwarfish and hacked the creature with his axe. It fell off the ladder, taking a few more down with it. Another strike and the ladder was disconnected. Gimli and Kylie both shoved the ladder, and it went flying back.

"Legolas! Shoot the ladders!" screamed Boromir from a distance.

"Kylie, get over there!" called Legolas as he shot. Kylie ran faster than she had ever run before… even faster than in Moria.

"Kylie! Shoot them!" Boromir screamed.

She did. She grabbed an arrow, dipped it in oil, and set it on fire.

"Kylie, hurry and shoot the… WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

She didn't answer and just hurried to fire the flaming arrow towards the ladder. The light went out almost the second the arrow shot off. It looked like it may have hit the ladder, or at least something on it.

"What was that?" he cried.

"It worked for Legolas!" exclaimed Kylie.

"Well Legolas is Legolas. Just shoot!"

Kylie's arrows hissed in the air. Suddenly she something hit her left shoulder and she fell back.

"Kylie!" called voices. She looked up to see Boromir looking down with a look of horror on his face. Aragorn was there seconds later.

"What happened?" Kylie was more confused than anything.

"You will be fine," Aragorn said quickly, his hands moving to her shoulder. She looked over and saw an arrow sticking out.

"It doesn't hurt," she stated. And it really didn't."

Aragorn moved his hands around the arrow. He moved it around and pulled. Then he laughed. "It didn't touch the skin. Boromir, what did you give her?"

"An extra suit of chainmail."

"It saved her life," said Aragorn pulling out his dagger and cutting off the tip.

"What?" asked Kylie. She was just confused.

"Just keep shooting!" Aragorn said, helping her to her feet.

Kylie stood there for a second, and then grabbed her bow. Her shoulder felt a bit sore, but she'd probably know if it she'd actually been shot. Wouldn't she?

"Ladders! Careful!" cried Boromir, who began to run across the wall, cutting ropes along the way. Kylie continued to shoot orcs on the wall.

"Here, help me!" cried a voice to her left. Kylie turned to see an old man struggling with a barrel. "Help me throw this over!"

"Okay!" Kylie cried. She ran over and grabbed the other end of the barrel, leaning it over to the side and letting it go.

"Perfect! Aye perfect." He tottered off. But Kylie couldn't watch him any longer. Boromir hadn't reached all of the Uruk-hai ladders and the creatures were beginning to pour onto the wall. She arrived just in time to keep some boy's head from being torn off by an Uruk-hai blade.

But she heard a crazed laugh beside her. The old man was giggling. Kylie looked down to see a light tumbling down. Suddenly, there was a gigantic flash of light at the bottom and orcish screams.

"Good one!"

"Kylie! Over here!" called Legolas from the other side of the Deep. Kylie sprinted back, but the elf met her halfway.

"Keep an eye on down there. There has been a lot of strange movement." Legolas pulled out his knives and sprinted back towards his designated position.

Kylie took out her dagger too. Even with the extra quiver from Legolas, she was dangerously low on arrows and didn't want to waste any more. Hours had gone by, and she was getting very tired. Pure adrenaline was the only thing keeping her awake. In fact, the fake energy coursing through her veins was the only reason that she saw what Legolas told her to look for.

In between fights, Kylie happened to look down at the ground directly below her. There was a light quickly approaching the fortress walls. Kylie looked closer. There was an Uruk-hai soldier… one of the stronger ones that was harder to kill… racing towards the base. She looked directly down. The drain was directly below It looked like… did the orcs put…?

"GUNPOWDER!" she screamed. Kylie notched an arrow and sent it flying at the orc. Maybe it hit… maybe not… but she shot again. "LEGOLAS! HELP!"

She fired a third arrow, and finally the creature fell down. The torch fell into the mud, and the light went out. Kylie started breathing again.

"They were going to blow the wall!" she cried, running past Legolas toward the stairs to the base of the deep. "I'm going to do something about that gunpowder."

"What?" asked the elf. Maybe gunpowder was just a new thing in Middle Earth. Either way, Kylie ignored him and kept running.

She gasped. It had looked like they were trying to blow up the wall, but it was another thing to see at least five barrels of explosives stacked against the metal drain. For lack of a better idea, Kylie stabbed the one nearest to her. A nasty black power poured on her hand.

There was a clink right by her head. Kylie looked up in shock to see three orcs standing there, bows aimed at her. Only her quick tennis reflexes, and a very thick metal bar, kept her from becoming a pincushion.

"Holy…."

Arrows continued to fly past. Kylie reached into her quiver. She was completely out. Go figure. And the only arrows readily available were directly in the line of fire. She took in a deep breath and walked to the part of the Deep where the arrows were. Then it was running time.

She didn't look to see if the orcs who were shooting at her were still there. Kylie was definitely not a warrior, but she was experienced enough at this point to know that this hesitation could be fatal. She sprinted by one arrow and picked it up without hesitation. The next one was the same. Then she raced to the next one and picked it up almost the same way she'd pick up a tennis ball in a match. The next of was stuck in the mud, so she dove and pulled it out of the ground.

"Ahh!" Kylie gasped in pain as she felt something sharp cut her arm. She rolled away quickly and looked. Just like earlier, there was an arrow piercing her armor. She panicked and clutched her arm in pain.

But the panic didn't last long. There was a rumble in the deep as the wall of the Hornburg exploded. Kylie was thrown back.

A/N: Guess whose little sister got a bow and arrows for Christmas? Quite excited to learn archery lol

On another note, reviews and comments are very much appreciated! Positive feedback is awesome, but friendly criticism is good too. And I just want to know what all of you like about these stories.


	10. Chapter 10

Ch. 10: The Valley of the Hornburg

Kylie opened her eyes. Did she actually black out? If she did, it was impossible to tell for sure. There was still a fierce battle going on around her. She pulled the arrow out of her arm and stood up to shoot as many Uruk-hai as possible. With luck, nobody would notice her. She ran closer to the stairs and pulled her bowstring back. The shot went out, and it looked like it hit an orc. She fired again. Still, the Uruk-hai seemed to not notice her.

"Kylie!" She turned to see Aragorn running towards the stairs frantically. He was covered in dust and his lip was bleeding. "Come with me, I need your help."

Kylie nodded and sprinted after him. "What's the deal? What happened?"

"The enemy is on the causeway! It is bad enough that they have created an entrance through the wall, but they absolutely must not win the causeway! We would lose all advantage we have!"

"What do you mean?"

"Even when they are down there, we possess the high ground. We can shoot them and keep them from entering the deep part of the Hornburg. But if they enter through the main gates…" Aragorn shook his head and they continued running.

For some reason, Kylie thought the chaos would die down once she and Aragorn reached the upper levels. She was wrong. Sure, there were no orcs, but soldiers and other men were sprinting to the gates. They were shaking. As they got closer, Kylie could hear the gate rumbling and harsh voices on the other side.

"Cover us if they break through," said Aragorn as he ran to support the door.

Kylie took the orcish arrow out of her quiver and notched it onto her bow. Right now, there was nothing to shoot at. They still hadn't broken into the door.

"Lord Aragorn, how holds the valley?" asked King Théoden.

"If we can hold the door we may hold the valley," he said shortly. "Do we have anything else to secure this?"

"Not that I can see. We can perhaps use rubble from the valley," said Éomer.

"Nay, perhaps we ought to use that to refill that part of the wall. Master Gimli, would you be of any assistance?"

Gimli grunted. "We dwarves do not shape our great halls with battle axes and fingernails! Still, I will do what I can."

Théoden nodded. "Do that! The door will hold for moments longer. Where is your elf friend? It would be better if they have some sort of cover."

"He is still calling shots from the wall," said Kylie. "I can do it!"  
"I would prefer you to stay here," said Aragorn.

"Yet she is right. You do have skill with a bow," Théoden addressed her. "Go now!"

"Kylie, try to find Boromir there if you can. He can be of help!"

"Sure thing!" she nodded and followed Gimli and Éomer back down the flight of stairs. She thought about shooting an orc or two on the way, but she just couldn't. Her arms were tired enough as it was, and she was dangerously low on arrows. She just tried grabbing arrows off the ground while avoiding the trampling Uruk-hai, their swords, their projectiles, and any sort of friendly fire.

It was much easier said than done.

Thankfully, it helped her run into Boromir. Literally.

"Umph!" he cried as they were knocked to the ground.

"Boromir! We need your help to fix the wall!"

He looked curiously at her, but nodded and began to follow. They ducked behind a large boulder with Éomer and Gimli.

"Argh! These rocks have been blown good," said Gimli. "Still, this explosion could have been much worse."

"In what way?" cried Boromir, rubbing his side. "It nearly blew me off the wall!"

"Look," pointed Gimli. "There are remains of five separate barrels. The force of that sort of explosion should have blown you straight to the heavens."

Boromir nodded slowly.

"Hurry, we must work quickly if we want to do any good here," said Éomer.

Gimli responded by choosing a particularly large boulder and rolling it towards the base of the wall.

"Cover us. If the Uruks try to give us trouble, give them trouble," said Boromir. With that, he started to work on a boulder close by.

Kylie did. She climbed on top of the largest boulder she could find and kept her eyes on the other three. Her arrow was notched and she was ready to fire. A few minutes and two arrows later, and everybody had been successfully defended. Only a few stray Uruks had come by, but Kylie saw them soon enough to shoot them without any trouble. She almost thought her job would be easy.

How wrong she was.

Almost as soon as she shot that third orc, it seemed like all of the others in the entire battle realized exactly what they were doing. Before she realized what was going on, Boromir was attacked viciously by three Uruks.

"BOROMIR!" she screamed, trying to fire an arrow. But she just could not get a clear shot. Kylie tried to shoot at an orc coming towards Gimli, but she barely missed the dwarf's head. It was almost as if every Uruk-hai warrior not already inside the walls was attempting to thwart their last attempts at some kind of defense. And the orcs were doing a very good job. Many men came to help them, but the orcs kept pouring in. Kylie tried frantically to defend everybody, but it was completely useless. She put her bow away and pushed at the rocks herself.

"No!" cried Éomer. "Fall back! The wall is lost! To the causeway!"

Boromir took off sprinting, but Gimli stayed where he was. "No Uruk-hai will cross this lane while I have a say!"

"No Gimli, that's suicide! We need you!" cried Kylie, who tried to drag the dwarf back. Gimli stood firm in his position. In any other situation, it all would have looked quite hilarious.

"Leave me be!"  
"No Master dwarf, she is right!" cried Éomer. "Better to fall back and live to defend but a little longer! Come!" Gimli growled, but turned to run back to the stairs.

They were too late. There was a sea of orcs between them and the stairs to the upper part of the keep.

"What now?" cried Kylie, unsheathing her dagger and picking up a few more arrows.  
"To the caves! There is a door off in the corner. From there we can circle to the keep. Come!" cried Éomer, "With me! Fall back with me!"

Every human (and unfortunately a few Uruks) followed the Captain of Rohan, racing to a door that was hiding in the back of the cliff. Kylie positioned herself at the frame of the door to shoot a few last arrows to take out a few of the orcs that were following them. She pulled back and released an arrow that miraculously hit an orc square in the face. She pulled back on her bow again and hit another. She tried a third time, but pulled back too quickly. The arrow went flying, but pain coursed through her arm. It felt like she tore a muscle or something. Thankfully, a few men beyond the door turned and started to fight the Uruk-hai.

"In! Now!" Éomer grabbed the girl, pulling her inside just as they shut the door.

"Wait! What about everybody else?" she cried as the wooden door slammed shut.

Éomer shook his head solemnly. "You saw. The Uruks were coming too close. Any closer and our only means of defense would be gone."

"But…."

"They knew they were not going to make it. Why do you think they turned to fight?" said another man solemnly.

"Aye, they gave everything they had to this fight. All I can hope is that it is not all for naught," grunted Gimli.

"What do you mean?" asked Kylie slowly, massaging her arm.

The dwarf sighed. "The Uruk-hai will make quick work of that wooden door and we will be sitting ducks, along with the women and children further down the tunnels."

Éomer cursed.

"Then what are we waiting for?" said a boy about Kylie's age. "We need to barricade the door! Come Master dwarf, help me move this rock."


	11. Chapter 11

Ch. 11: The Glittering Caves

The men all scrambled to move rocks and barrels and anything else they could find to more strategic locations. Most of them moved the rubble towards the actual door, but a few moved them in various locations throughout the tunnel. Through it all, Kylie could hear pounding on the door. She trembled in fear.

"Brother, what is the matter?" called a voice from the hallway. Everybody turned around as Éowyn entered their line of vision.

"Éowyn! Thank goodness you're here." Éowyn's face brightened up as her brother took notice of her. "I need your help. I need you to warn the women and children. The Uruk-hai are coming and I don't believe we can hold them off long. I need you to lead the women and children deeper into the caves. Get them out!"

"Is there not…" Éowyn cried.

"No! Éowyn, please."

Éowyn looked very unhappy. In fact, she looked devastated. But the lady nodded and ran back down the tunnel.

"Kylie! I need you to help us with this!" called Gimli. Kylie ran over to help the rest of the men (and the one dwarf) push a particularly large stone against the door. Even once this was done, the pounding could still be heard on the other side. The wood was beginning to crack under the force. It was terrifying.

"Hold!" grunted Éomer, forcing all of his weight against their barricade. "There are too few of us, and too many to protect!"

That's when Kylie counted. Twenty-six. There were only twenty-six of them barricading the door shut. She shivered.

She wasn't ready to die.

They all pushed all of their weight against the door. The door began to crack, but it did not actually budge. Then as quickly as the pounding started, it stopped.

"Could… could it be...?" stammered the boy.

"You don't think they… gave up?" whispered a man to Kylie's right.

"I would not dare hope," said Éomer, but the entire cave grew quiet. They needed to figure out exactly what the Uruk-hai were up to.

Suddenly Kylie had a horrible thought. "What if… you don't think… do they have more explosives?"

"Aye! I would bet half the treasure in Erebor on it!" cried Gimli.

Éomer nodded. "Everybody, back! Get back behind the other rocks. Now!"

They all scrambled quietly behind other stones and boxes and dirt they had piled up for additional cover. Kylie crouched behind the last one, and Gimli dropped beside her.

"Exactly how much treasure is in Erebor?" she whispered to him.

Gimli was about to answer when a loud noise filled the chamber. It was no Uruk horn. It was deep and rich. The sound grew louder and louder and louder, reverberating off the walls. Some of the men cried out in joy.

"The horn! The great horn of the Hornburg! She blows strong again… dawn has arrived!"

The door exploded.

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The earth shook, and Kylie's ears were ringing, but she was far enough away that she and Gimli were unhurt by the blast itself. Even the rain of arrows did not do much damage. Everybody was hiding behind some sort of rubble, so the worst injury was an arrow bouncing off of Éomer's helm.

"Hold your ground! Kylie, Garan, arrows!"

Kylie and a man across the hall stood up quickly. Kylie took aim at the first Uruk-hai she saw. She hit it, but the arrow clinked harmlessly off the orc's armor and it just continued to labor over the rocks and spears they had organized as a weak barricade. As quickly as she could, she pulled back and aimed instead for an archer. That arrow hit an exposed area of the orc and it yelped.

"DOWN!" cried Éomer. Kylie and Garan ducked down just in time to avoid another shower of arrows. Kylie lifted the shield that had been strapped to her back above her and Gimli to protect them from any stray arrows.

"NOW! FAST!" Éomer screamed.

Kylie hopped up a little too quickly and fumbled with her bow as Garan was able to get off a few shots. Finally, she aimed and shot an arrow at a random orc. Almost immediately she heard a cry of pain, but it was not from any orc. Kylie stood dumbfounded as Garan sank to the ground, an arrow protruding from his stomach. She dropped to the ground in shock.

"Lass, shoot them!" cried Gimli, who seemed oblivious to her shock.

Kylie shivered and nodded. She notched one of her last arrows and stood up, shooting without aiming. Not even sure if she hit anything, she dropped back down to notch another arrow.

"They broke through!" cried a man hiding in the front.

Gimli did not need any more provocation. He rushed forward, brandishing his axe and calling out something in dwarfish. Kylie did not stand up, but she heard the yells and cries of men and orcs. Finally, she found the courage to stand on the barricade. Her arrows went flying, hitting any Uruk-hai archer in her line of sight. She was so intent on her firing that she almost missed an orc coming at her to cut her in half. Almost. She was able to jump and avoid its hooked sword, but her foot slipped on the landing and she fell flat on her back. There was a horrifying crunching sound underneath, and she lay paralyzed. Then the orc fell on top of her, headless. Screaming, she pushed the hideous creature off of her. Nothing hurt… her back was not broken? But then she looked beside her and saw the bow. She must have landed on it or something, because it snapped in half.

"To me! Stay close!" cried Éomer, rattling Kylie to reality. She pulled out her dagger and ran to him. She didn't waste too much time to actually count them, but it sure looked like there were less people standing together than entered perhaps two hours earlier.

Kylie had her shield in one hand and the dagger and the other. Both hands were shaking uncontrollably.

"Hold the ground!" called Éomer as he sliced at an orc. He barely missed being skewered by a particularly large one when someone else stabbed it.

"Éowyn?" he cried. Kylie could hear the mix of shock and anger in his voice. "Go back to the refugees! We can hold them for a little longer."

"Others are leading the people, and with my aid you can hold them but a little longer!" she hissed.

Éomer opened his mouth, but there was no time for the siblings to bicker. Instead, they stood back-to-back and fought off as many Uruk-hai as possible.

Kylie too, tried to hold her own. But even with Gimli and the boy by her side, she was getting overwhelmed. There was no chance for her to use her flimsy dagger against the giant swords. All she was able to do was to hold off their swords with the shield.

Suddenly, the Uruk-hai began to scream from outside. The ones inside turned around, and Éomer and the others took advantage of it. They were able to hack away at a few Uruk-hai until they saw something that made their jaw drop. Men were running in. Real men! And not just the random citizens who were chosen to defend Helm's Deep, but real soldiers of Rohan! They were cutting down orcs with spears and swords. Within minutes the caves were cleared! They were saved!

"Hail Lord Éomer!" said one of the soldiers, who looked like he could have been a commander. "Lord Erkenbrand sends his regards."

A/N: I know I may sound like a resounding gong at this point, but reviews/commonts/constructive critiques are much appreciated!


	12. Chapter 12

Ch. 12: The Aftermath

Everybody ran out of the caves to continue the fight, but it was already over. Horsemen were riding around the base with spears, looking for any sign of evil lurking behind the corners. Thankfully, there was none. Éomer raised his head and muttered something.

"I believe the battle is won," he said after, almost not believing his own words. "Haleth, Thámeth, and Erelek, I need you to look for wounded. There is likely to be many. The rest of you help secure the deep. Éowyn, you bring the refugees back… especially if there happens to be any healers among them. We will need every person available on deck. No Gimli and Kylie, you come with me. Let us see if we cannot find the King and a few of your friends."

"Aye, let's," cried Gimli. "Remember this number: forty-two!"

"Forty-two?"

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Kylie followed Éomer and Gimli, keeping her gaze on Gimli's axe. The battle scene was horrible. There were bodies everywhere and the ground was soaked in a very dark red. In fact she could feel her boots sink into the ground. She worked very hard to convince herself that the ground was just wet from the rain the night before.

When they left the rock wall, an amazing sight met Kylie's eyes. She knew for a fact that Helm's Deep was not surrounded by a forest, yet it looked like every tree in Middle Earth had grown legs and walked right up to the walls. And in front of that forest stood a figure Kylie was not expecting.

"Gandalf!" she cried.

The White Wizard turned around and smiled. "Well met dear girl, I was hoping you had survived the battle."

"What happened?"

"A surprise. Something I little expected yet could have not planned so well if I had tried."

"Are those… are those the trees of Fangorn?" asked Gimli.

"Fangorn?" cried Éomer, staring suspiciously at the forest. "What sort of devilry is this?"

"Oh no devilry. Certainly no work of Saruman's. Although, I must say that he is responsible for this turn of events," said the wizard.

"Explain."

"You shall see soon enough. We need to travel to Isengard soon, and you shall see the havoc Saruman wreaked on the forest. So in turn, the forest wreaked havoc on him."

Éomer nodded, still a bit nervous about the trees.

"The trees are alive?" asked Kylie stupidly.

"Of course they are!" said Gandalf. "All trees and other such plants are. There is an ancient magic over this particular forest, however, and these trees can move in their own fashion."

"Okay…" she nodded.

"Must have given the Uruk-hai a mighty scare," said Éomer.

"You should have seen it," smirked Gandalf.

"Unfortunately we were in the caves," shrugged Éomer.

"Unfortunately?" gasped Gimli, "I think you severely underestimate those caverns horse-lad! If I had the time, I could pass many a day there to discover their wonders!"

"Yet you are right: we do have many more immediate tasks at hand," said Gandalf. "Sauron's wrath will certainly be terrible after this loss and his retribution will be swift. The Battle for Middle Earth has scarcely begun. Oh, but do not look so downcast Kylie Turney! While there is life and light there is hope! Even this new dawn has brought unexpected victory."

"No kidding," Kylie shivered.

"Gandalf!" cried a voice from behind. They all turned to see King Théoden, Aragorn, and Legolas walking toward them. "This entrance is most welcome, if unexpected."

"Unexpected? You may remember that I told you to expect me at dawn, and here I am!"

"My friend, never forget that you speak in riddles!" said Aragorn, smiling ever so slightly.

"Forty-two!" cried Gimli to Legolas.

"Forty-two?" cried the elf. "You exceeded my count by one. But I ran out of arrows very quickly."

"Ah! But I still won!" shouted Gimli.

"It was mostly knife-work for me," cried Legolas indignantly.

"It was entirely axe-work for me!" returned the dwarf.

They shared a long look, then Gimli laughed loudly.

Legolas smiled lightly. "Well, there will likely be more battles for me to win."

Kylie literally let out a sigh of relief. For a minute… she thought the two were going to argue bitterly for the next forty-two minutes.

"In truth," continued Legolas, "I am just happy to see the two of you alive. Especially after…." His face darkened, as did Aragorn's.

"What?" asked Kylie slowly. "What happened?"

"You need to come to us quickly," said Aragorn.

"Aragorn, where is Boromir?" asked Gimli.

Aragorn shook his head. "He sent us to find you two. If we hurry, he waits for you still."

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The former fellowship members rushed back to the main hall, which had recently been transformed into a makeshift hospital.

"No," Kylie whispered when they got there. There she saw Boromir, the man who had helped her learn how to fight, saved her from the Uruk-hai by the river, then protected her from Wormtongue. He was lying pale on the floor; his torso was literally covered in bloody bandages. He was wounded several times while attempting to rebuild the wall, but the worst of the injuries were received while making a last stand beyond the causeway. Aragorn was just able to drag him into the hall. The nurses had spent several minutes working on him, but they knew they were too late.

Everybody knew.

"Aragorn, can't you do something?" cried Kylie. "Boromir, what happened?"

He smiled lightly. "I suppose my pride was my downfall," he whispered weakly.

"No Boromir," said Aragorn. "I saw you. You fell defending others selflessly."

"I was fool to believe I would survive that onslaught."

"Nay Boromir, it was brave," said Legolas.

The man shook his head. "I am glad… that I get to see all of you again." He looked at Kylie. "I… I cannot say how glad I am you survived."

"Yes Boromir, and no doubt partially due to your efforts," said Gandalf softly.

Boromir chuckled softly. "No Mithrandir. At least… I cannot take… take much credit."

"You helped me!" said Kylie.

Boromir shook his head. "You… you have no idea… of my failure."

"No!" cried Kylie, tears in her eyes. "You didn't fail anybody!"

"You do not understand… I do not speak of the causeway…." He trailed off. He looked like he was in pain, and not from his wounds. "I have a confession. Please… please listen," he gasped. The rest were silent. They were not about to deny the last request of a dying man. "Please… please forg…forgive me. I tried to take… the ring!" He whispered the last part so nobody else would hear. "I tried to take it from Frodo! I attacked him! It is my… all of this… my fault… our fellowship broke. I failed my people."

"Oh Boromir…." Kylie could not finish. The words shook her. She barely remembered the departure of Frodo; she was unconscious at the time. She had no idea how to feel about it. "It happened so long ago…." At least if felt that way.

"Do not despair on your role in the breaking of the fellowship. We still do not know how this will end. Perhaps a greater good will come from this path," said Gandalf.

"And," continued Aragorn, "you saved so many here… you cannot call yourself a failure!"

"My… my people…."

"Boromir, I swear. I do not know what strength is in my blood," said Aragorn, "I will not let the White City fall. Nor our people fail."

"Our… our people?"

Aragorn nodded in response.

"…I would have followed… followed you… to the end my King! I… I cannot… just try… do not despair…." They tried to discern his message, but it was not possible. Boromir died. He just stopped moving; Kylie would not have noticed except that there was no life in his eyes.

She didn't start crying like she would've thought she would. She did nothing. She just sat there staring into Boromir's blank eyes.

"Kylie, come," said Legolas's gentle voice behind her. He put his hand on her shoulder, trying to maneuver her from her friend's body. It was funny. She never really thought about him as a friend, but now that he was gone…. "Come Kylie."

She just shook her head. "No. I don't want to." Her voice sounded robotic even in her own head.

The elf bent by her. "Then you may stay if you would like. But do not be afraid to mourn." Kylie looked away towards Aragorn, who closed Boromir's eyes and drew up the sheets. There was a long wet streak across his face. She turned further to Gimli and Gandalf. Neither was crying, but Gimli was kneeling with his hands on his axe. Gandalf placed his hand on the dwarf's shoulder. She then turned back around to Legolas. His eyes were glistening with tears.

That was it. She broke down and cried there on Legolas's shoulder.

A/N: Ummm…. Please don't kill me? I know some of you liked Boromir, but I've been planning this for a while. I will say that I thought about finding a way to keep him around, but with my ideas for Return of the King, this is the best way to go story-wise. Reviews appreciated as always.


	13. Chapter 13

Ch. 13: The Road to Isengard

The remaining members of the fellowship spent a day recovering from the battle. Kylie herself spent almost all of that time asleep. She did not think she would get to sleep, but in the end exhaustion took her. About thirteen hours later, she felt something tapping her shoulder.

"Kylie, it is time to go," Legolas said softly, helping her up.

"Where are we going?" she was still groggy from exhaustion.

"Isengard. Gandalf said that we need to go there, remember?"

Kylie sat up blinking, trying to remember that conversation. She could only remember one thing about Isengard though: Uruk-hai. "Why? Isn't that where Sauron lives?"

He laughed lightly. "No, Saruman lives there. Gandalf said it was safe now, so you have nothing to fear."

"Alright, whatever you say."

"Kylie, are you alright?"

She shrugged. "I guess so."

He nodded understandingly and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Come; let us find you something to eat."

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Around sunrise, the small company left towards Isengard. Gandalf led, followed immediately by King Théoden. Éomer rode beside his uncle. Aragorn and Kylie rode beside Legolas and Gimli, both immediately behind the King and his nephew.

Kylie stared off into the distance. Despite her injuries, she felt much better than she had in days. Physically anyway. Her arm, where she had been shot, was still a bit sore. She rubbed her arm to relieve a bit of the tension.

"How is your arm?" asked Aragorn.

"They looked at it yesterday. It was nothing bad."

Aragorn nodded and they continued to ride in silence.

"He really is gone, isn't he?" asked Kylie after a while.

"Yes," said Aragorn. Kylie could hear the hint of sadness in his voice.

"Does it get any easier?"

"Losing someone?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"You always miss them, but yes, it does get easier."

Kylie nodded, her eyes glistening with tears again.

"Are you afraid?" he asked behind her.

She didn't answer. Was she? Death had never been a real thing before. But in the past few days, she had watched two people die. One was a good friend. "A bit," she whispered.

"I will do what I can to keep you safe. I promise."

She nodded slowly. "Thanks."

They continued to ride on in silence. They were riding off into the unknown. Into enemy territory. Kylie shivered a bit when they finally entered Fangorn forest. But now, more than ever, she was determined to be brave. In Boromir's memory. And she made a promise of her own. The one thing Boromir cared for most was his people. Kylie didn't know what she could do, but she promised herself that she would somehow help them. In his memory.

She heard a soft hum to her left. She turned to see Legolas singing softly. She strained her ears to hear the words.

_What news from the South, O sighing wind, do you bring me at eve?_

_Where now is Boromir the Fair? He tarries and I grieve._

_Ask not of me where he doth dwell – so many bones there lie._

_On the white shores and the dark shores under the stormy sky;_

_So many have passed to find the flowing Sea._

_Ask of the North Wind news of them the North Wind sends to me._

_O Boromir! Beyond the gate the seaward road runs south,_

_But you come not with the wailing gulls from the grey sea's mouth._

A/N: Whoot! Finished the Two Towers! It's crazy, and I know I ended a bit early according to the book, but this seemed like a good ending point to me. And if you believe you recognize Legolas's song, you're right! It's almost what he sings at the beginning of the book, I just ignored a few parts including the river so it would fit my story well.

I'll hopefully start the Return of the King soon, but please be patient! It's going to be a long one, and school starts next week for me! Any reviews or even ideas or constructive criticism would be appreciated!


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